Why You’re Tempted to Hook Up With an Ex This Month

Should you give in to your feelings?

Your family and old friends might not be the only people you reunite with this December: Twenty-six percent of people admit they’ve hooked up with an ex over the holidays, according to a recent survey of more than 9,000 users by the dating site Plenty of Fish.

What would urge someone to sleep with an ex this month? Lots of things, say experts. The holidays put a lot of pressure on singles to look for companionship—especially when it feels like couples are everywhere, says relationship expert Andrea Syrtash, author of It's Okay to Sleep With Him on the First Date: And Every Other Rule of Dating, Debunked. When you’re flying solo at holiday parties and watching couples ice skate together, it’s hard not to notice your singleness. And if the two of you are from the same hometown with similar friend groups, it’s more likely you’ll bump into each other at some point.

"For certain people, the holidays are a lonely time,” says Syrtash. “Especially during this cold season, it’s nice to feel like there’s someone at home with you when you don’t feel like going outside.”

So how can you tell if it’s okay to get with an ex? First, stop and ask yourself why you’re doing it. If you’re bored—and neither of you have feelings for each other anymore—then a hookup won’t hurt anybody. But if one of you isn’t completely over the other, then sex will only complicate your emotions.

“You won’t figure out your relationship with a hookup,” says Syrtash. “You have to remind yourself what didn’t work in the relationship and talk it out.” If you’re both on the same page and willing to try again, then use these five tips for getting back together with your ex.